In the manufacture of continuous glass fibers, glass filaments are typically formed by drawing them from a source of molten glass. The molten glass source is a container conventionally constructed of platinum or a platinum alloy and provided with a multiplicity of orifices or hollow tips at the bottom. The molten glass flows from the bushing through the orifices and/or tips and is attenuated by wheel pullers, winders and other similar devices at high speed. The filaments so drawn from a bushing are then typically collected on a package contained on the winder surface.
Glass filaments in industry today are drawn at very high rates of speed thus creating considerable air turbulence in the area of the bushing. As glass fiber bushings have increased in size and attenuation speeds have increased to 1,524 to 6,096 meters per minute or more, difficulties have been encountered in controlling the short yardage characteristics of glass fiber yarns and call down rates are often below acceptable values. It is believed that these and many other associated problems are caused by erratic air velocity conditions in and around the bushing tips and the area immediately below the tips.